Implantable medical device with polymer-polymer interfaces and methods of manufacture and use

• US 7,433,737 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: He, Tom Xiaohai, Haller, Matthew Isaac, Anderson, Meredith Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Natasha N
• Application Number:
  US11/125,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 607/36, 607/37, 174/50.5, 174/50.58, 534/77, 220/521, 228/124.6
• US Class Current: 607/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1606 Ultraviolet [UV] radiation, e.g. by ultraviolet excimer lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1612 Infrared [IR] radiation, e.g. by infrared lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1616 Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1635 at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/168 placed at the interface
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1683 coated on the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3444 being a ribbon, band or strip
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3468 characterised by the means for supplying heat to said heated elements which remain in the join, e.g. special electrical connectors of windings B29C65/3668 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3476 being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/348 with a polymer coating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1312 Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73366 both parts to be joined being transparent or translucent to visible light
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/00 Use of polyalkenes or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/14 : Copolymers of polypropylene B29K2023/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 : PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 : Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2305/14 : Noble metals, e.g. silver, gold or platinum
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0093 : hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2022/002 : Globes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7532 : Artificial members, protheses

Abstract

An implantable stimulator that includes a housing, a first plastic component, and a second plastic component, where the first and second plastic components form a polymer-polymer interface. A light absorbing metal layer is disposed over at least a portion of the interface and an electronic subassembly is disposed within the housing. The first and second plastic components can be welded together by irradiating the light absorbing metal layer which converts the light to heat.

Claims

1. A method of making an implantable stimulator, the method comprising:

forming a polymer-polymer interface between two portions of the implantable stimulator, each portion of the implantable stimulator comprising a polymeric component;

disposing a light absorbing metal layer on the interface; and

irradiating the light absorbing metal layer with a laser to heat the metal layer to weld the interface forming a direct polymer-to-polymer bond between the two portions of the implantable stimulator, wherein the direct polymer-to-polymer bond comprises a region in which the polymeric components of the two portions of the implantable stimulator are in direct contact with each other and directly bonded without the light absorbing metal layer between the polymeric components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light absorbing metal layer is an infrared absorbing metal layer and the laser is an infrared laser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a polymer-polymer interface comprises forming a polymer-polymer interface between two portions of a housing of the implantable stimulator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second polymer-polymer interface that is non-contiguous with the polymer-polymer interface.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising disposing a second light absorbing metal layer on the interface, and irradiating the second light absorbing metal layer with a laser to heat the metal and weld the second interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein disposing a light absorbing metal layer on the interface comprises patterning the metal layer on the interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing an electronic subassembly in a housing of the implantable stimulator.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising coupling the metal layer to the electronic subassembly and to at least one electrode external to the housing, wherein the metal layer provides a conduit for transmission of stimulation signals generated by the electronic assembly to the at least one electrode external to the housing.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising disposing a non-conductive light absorbing material over at least some portion of the interface not in contact with the metal layer.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising coupling at least one electrode to a housing of the implantable stimulator.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein coupling at least one electrode to the housing comprises coupling at least one electrode to the metal layer and to the electronic subassembly, wherein the metal layer is patterned, and provides a conduit for transmission of stimulation signals generated by the electronic assembly to the at least one electrode.